BAYLOR: After losing to Kentucky in last year's Elite Eight, this will be a new-look Baylor squad without Perry Jones III, Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller'all gone to the NBA. But their leading scorer Pierre Jackson (13.8 PPG) returns for his senior campaign after tallying 5.9 APG last year and always threatening from beyond the arc with a 40.8% clip from beyond the arc. He should thrive as the focal point of the Bears offense and backcourt, joined by junior sharp-shooter Brady Heslip (10.2 PPG, 46% threes), who drained 26-of-48 (54%) from downtown last postseason. That veteran presence in the backcourt will be supplemented by the No. 2 center in the recruiting class, 7-footer Isaiah Austin, who should be expected to contribute immediately. Six-foot-7 freshman Ricardo Gathers is also a heralded newcomer, while fellow first-year L.J. Rose should also be effective off the bench as another great ball-handler for Scott Drew's squad. Replacing that trio to the NBA will be a tall task, but this is one of the few recruiting classes in the nation prepared to deal with such a steep departing crew.

TCU: Welcome to the Big 12 and the conference's cellar TCU. It will take time for Trent Johnson to rebuild this program, taking over a team that went just .500 in the Mountain West last year. Six-foot-7 swingman Garlon Green (9.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG) will have to bear too much of the brunt for this year's squad, and he won't be enough to make this team threaten to knock off superior teams on most nights.